Farmington, Simsbury Receive Grants For Infrastructure Improvements

Farmington received $350,000 in grants to improve the access of Farmington Avenue

In addition to several other towns, Farmington and Simsbury received grants to assist with infrastructure improvement projects, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday.

Farmington was awarded $350,000 and Simsbury was awarded $150,000 in funding under the state's Small Town Economic Assistance Program, according to a press release.

"Delivering these grants today will improve the outlook for small towns across the state tomorrow. We are partnering with our smaller communities so that we can rebuild infrastructure, improve quality of life for residents across our state, and put Connecticut on a brighter path," Malloy said in the release. "These grants will help towns grow, remain competitive, and have a lasting impact for years to come."

Farmington's grant will be used to improve the access and usability of Farmington Avenue through the Bioscience Corridor and the historic Farmington Village. The project will include includes improved signage to welcome and inform visitors entering Farmington from Interstate 84, improvements to streetscapes and additional bus shelters, according to the release.

Simsbury's grant will be used to complete the construction of the Simsbury Veterans Memorial, recognizing the 104 Simsbury residents who died serving the country since the Revolutionary War. It will cost about $175,000 to complete.

The memorial will consist of four ten-foot, white granite columns engraved with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, symbols of American Democracy and the 104 names of Simsbury's deceased veterans, according to the release.

"We thank the governor for bestowing this generous grant to our community," said state Rep. John Hampton of Simsbury. "We are especially grateful to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1926 and the American Legion Post 84 for their dynamic leadership on this effort and for all of their hard work in bringing this incredible project to fruition."

Bethany, Hebron, Greenwich and New Milford also received grants. This is the second installment of several rounds of grants this year, as the first round was announced in March, according to the release.